Monday, August 30, 2010

I have had the busiest past two weeks! A few hours after writing the last blog post, I packed the car and travelled up to Canberra. That night had dinner with my friend Joc, and Sue Spargo and co from Addiction to Fabric. Next day saw Joc and I off to class with Sue Spargo. Joc had been at class all weekend and was right in the wool embroidery, applique frame of mind. I took a little while to be overwhelmed and then excited by all this. The projects and Sue's work were all gorgeous, and I happily played with ribbons, linens and thought about what I would do for my applique when I got back.
I finished my Greta needleroll all bar the important bits- the applique and embroidery so hopefully as soon as I get a few summer school projects to the stage of being photographed, in the next few weeks, I will return.
In the meantime I have been working away in the kitchen on what I should be doing, and dyeing up and felting wool, beside me, in readiness for the next few weeks. I love dying wool, and found a great use for an old cashmere and wool blanket I will never finish embroidering. I cut off little bits from my dyeing for Jan to take to Melbourne for her Sue Spargo class, so I am eagerly waiting to see what she and Sue-Anne have made.
After class on the Monday with Sue, Joc and I came home and as usual decided we would make several more of the needlerolls.( I am dreaming!!) I must check in with Joc to see how she is going with hers!

Joc loves wool embroidery and made me a little pincushion for my birthday she had made with a little dachshund on it. I just love it! We have the kits at the shop and Joc changed the dog in the kit to a little dachshund.
I had grown up with smooth haired dachshunds until I met Joc many years ago. We got our first long haired dachshund from Joc (Wilfred, the naughtiest dog we have ever owned) and if you have ever owned a dachshund you will know how naughty they can be.

Joc has a new addition to her family, Tilly. Our three at home are getting old now, and it easy to forget just how lively a puppy is. This is Tilly in a rare moment of peace and quiet. Like our dog Bob, Tilly's hobby is gardening.

At the class is was wonderful and inspiring to see Sue Spargo's work in the flesh. It is always motivating to go a class with an international tutor. I just loved the covered buttons

It was also great to see how I can recycle or find a use for all those embroidery threads and ribbons and trims I have.

The next day we all went to the National Museum to the Canning Stock Route art exhibition. This is wow! For someone who like me, who just loves indigenous art, this was an art exhibition I have been looking forward to for the past few years when I first heard it was being assembled. I loved it so much, my husband and I will head to Canberra again before it closes late January.

Here are the girls in the entrance to the exhibition

And the next day, a drive back home which had me thinking and planning quilts all the way.

Now back to where I was two weeks ago!!!

The Fabric of Society pt 2.

Annette Gero, came to Wagga Wagga primarily to talk about wagga quilts. She described how the name had come about as they originally had been made using the Wagga Lily flour bags as a backing. One of the men at the lecture had brought along the original printing die for the flour bags. He collected memorabilia related to Wagga Wagga and owned the cast, purchased from the mill when it closed.
Annette had wonderful stories re the waggas, about how they had contained stories from the depression, the war, and where she finds them.. from under dogs in dog kennels, to being given them and then discovering they are lined with a lifetime of family baby cardigans and little children's outgrown jumpers.

this quilt was brought along, backed with hessian and rescued just in time. It was decaying as we looked at it!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Today I have spent a fabulous day at Wagga Wagga where the WW Antique Society hosted Annette Gero to talk about antique Australian quilts with an emphasis on wagga quilts. Annette is a wonderful speaker and makes every piece of quilting so important by making the story of the quilt more important than the quilt itself.
The RSL club hall was packed to capacity and so many people brought with them wonderful old quilts, quilts they had made and wonderful stories.

Early into the speech Annette said how (this seemed truly amazing) almost 14,000 convict quilts were made. I am sure I didnt hear this right. However they only know of one, "The Rajah " quilt, when a lady said she had another one in nearby Batlow, she knew of.

There were some gorgeous old quilts brought along and placed on display.

This one I wanted to take home! I think I am going to start bleaching some of my reproduction 1930's fabrics.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Christine and I have been buried with fabric club. Sunday I was home by myself and locked myself inside and completed the newsletter. By the time I email it to our printer, anything could be written as I always feel braindead.
But with most of my part over I have been madly sewing today. The Summer school mailout is approaching and so far I have nothing to photograph! Today it has been pouring rain, hailing, thunder and everything else so it was a great day to stay home and get stuck into some serious sewing. I wont photograph it yet but my major quilt for summer school is looking gorgeous. What a relief.

On Saturday I am going to Wagga Wagga to hear Annette Gero give a lecture and I have made this the deadline to get my Dancing Dollies quilt all appliqued. Tomorrow I should finish with a big yahoo. Trying to applique the centre with the quilt all joined has been a bit trying!
The Browne Sisters sampler has only been glued as I did not want to stop to sew it.

Then Sunday I am heading to Canberra to attend a class with Sue Spargo, go to the Canning Stock Route art exhibition and stay with my friends Joc and Rollo. I just love Indigenous art and I have been anxiously awaiting this exhibition for months. So I have an exciting week ahead of me.
Joc and I have been friends for about 26 years, and usually I manage a few trips to Canberra, and Joc manages to get down to me but this year we have had lots of upheavals, and I still have her Christmas present and her birthday present sitting here.

A few weeks at the shop we had a special treat as a customer dropped in with her "being quilted" Dear Jane quilt. It was gorgeous. It did give me pangs of guilt over mine. I started my quilt about 15 years ago maybe, then I decided I should do it exactly like the original, so discarded the first ten blocks. I became obsessed with finding the same fabrics, and made about 70 blocks, then stopped again. I have to say I dont particularly like what I have done so I think one day I will start again. This time I am going to piece it just in favourite old fabrics.
We have gorgeous fabrics that are ideal for Dear Jane in stock at the moment so it is tempting to start again!
happy sewing Susan x